Alex couldn't shake the uncomfortable blur of his own memory. Everything from last night until now felt fragmented and slipped through his fingers like sand.
"What's wrong? Is your own cooking not to your liking?" Jin asked, taking note of how Alex was merely picking at his food.
"It's... just a bit hot," Alex answered quickly, forcing a quick glance away.
Jin offered a small, nervous smile before returning to his plate.
A few minutes passed in uneasy silence. Once Alex cleared his meal, he lifted his gaze back to Jin,and felt a sudden chill run straight down his spine.
There it was again. Jin had the same soulless, hollow look in his eyes that had unnerved Alex the night before. He stared past Alex with an unblinking, vacant intensity, and the longer the silence stretched, the colder the air in the room seemed to turn.
"Uhm... Jin?" Alex's voice was barely audible.
Jin remained entirely still, almost frozen in place. Goosebumps prickled across Alex's arms. He wasn't imagining this because he felt that something was deeply wrong. Wanting to break the heavy stillness, Alex pushed himself up from his chair and stepped towards the counter to pour a glass of water.
"You seem very anxious." Jin's voice cut softly through the quiet room, filled with concern.
Alex froze and turned back around. The shift in the air hit him instantly. A heavy, suffocating pressure, as if an unseen presence had stepped into the room between them. But when his eyes met Jin's, the hollow expression was gone. In its place was a look of deep, sorrowful concern. Alex drained his cup in rapid, desperate gulps. His palms were slick with sweat, and the goosebumps running up his arms refused to fade.
"Is he having another panic attack?" Jin wondered, watching him closely.
Then he stood up and quietly approached Alex, who was staring blankly into space and his shoulders trembling. Just as Jin closed the distance, the suffocating, freezing pressure around Alex vanished.
When Alex glanced back towards the table, he saw Jin leaning his head against his palm, engrossed in the recipe book on the counter. But a second later, a touch landed on Alex's shoulder, making him flinch. He whipped his head around only to see Jin standing right beside him with a look of deep concern on his face.
"Alex, you really don't look so good. Why don't we step outside for some fresh air?" Jin asked slowly.
Alex's gaze darted between the empty chair at the table and at Jin standing beside him. "How... when did you get over here?" he asked, his voice shaking with shock.
"What do you mean?" Jin's brows drew together.
"You were just sitting over there at the table." Alex insisted, pointing back and forth wildly. "At the exact same time you touched my shoulder!"he said.
"I haven't been sitting down, Alex." Jin said. "You've been standing here,zoning out and trembling in fear so I neared you to find out if you're alright."he told Alex.
Alex opened his mouth to argue, but Jin took his hand and guided him out of the kitchen and into the living room.
"Sit down and let me get you some water," Jin said.
"Fruits will do..." Alex mumbled, slumping into the seat.
"Okay. Just wait here."Jin said then left.
Jin returned a few minutes later bearing a plate of freshly peeled, diced fruit. "Here you go. Just the way you like them."
Alex looked at the plate, his confusion multiplying. "But... you said you were getting water. Why did you bring fruit?"
Jin paused, his brows furrowing deeper. "Did that night's beating knock something loose in his head or is his memory failing because he asked for fruit instead."he thought while watching Alex slowly chew a slice of fruit, his eyes drifting out of focus every few seconds.
"Right... my mistake. I must have forgotten," Jin lied smoothly. "Just enjoy the fruit for now, okay?"
Alex nodded absently, but stopped chewing when Jin abruptly stood up. "Where are you going? Aren't you going to eat with me?"
"I'd love to, but I need to finish up in the kitchen," Jin replied.
"Let me help you," Alex offered, moving to set his plate aside.
"No, just rest," Jin insisted ."Once I finish in the kitchen, we'll go outside and enjoy the fresh air together."